My Recipe Box

Recipe List: “February 1,

It's one she scribbled down 13 years ago, when, as a newlywed, she called her mother in a panic. Here she was, married, and she didn't even know how to make a pitcher of tea for her husband, Russell.

Family members all had a good laugh over that, especially Nancy's brother. He even started calling her "Elly May." As in "Clampett."

Of course, they were just kidding around with her, but apparently, all of that teasing and taunting had a permanent impact on Nancy: To this day, the Elmore County mother of two insists she can't cook.

Others, however, don't see it that way.

"She's an excellent cook," Russell insists. "She's just being modest."

Modest is right. Just check out the recipes she shares in this month's "Country Kitchen," and you'll see that she doesn't take credit for a single one of them. She's named them after whoever shared them with her.

The "Vicki" in the recipes is Vicki Bragg of Birmingham, Russell's sister, whose culinary skills Nancy holds in high esteem. One of Nancy's most prized possessions, in fact, is a cookbook that Vicki put together for her as a wedding present. It's filled with favorite family recipes, complete with cooking tips and hints and tidbits of family history.

"I couldn't have made it without it," she says.

The Millers live in the Holtville/Slapout area of Elmore County, in a wonderful development on Lake Jordan. Russell is an outstanding pork producer; Nancy's a top-notch kindergarten teacher at Holtville Elementary; and their children, 11-year-old Brian and 7-year-old Kayla, are your typical ball-playing, gymnastics-taking kids.

"We're always going and doing," Nancy says. "But I love it that way."

Without a doubt, you'll love the recipes that follow. Just remember: They're not Nancy's, because Nancy can't cook.